‘Pikachu’ The Possum

Hurry and Grab your Poké balls. Also a plane ticket to Melbourne, Australia. Last month an orphaned possum was handed in to a wildlife rescue service in Melbourne. It was born with a genetic mutation making its fur fitting for the name of Pikachu.

Vet Stephen Reinisch said the possum, which has a genetic mutation that results in low levels of melanin causing her fur to be golden in colour, was found lying on the ground by a member of the public.

“One of the issues with unusual colours, particularly if they are pale, is this a nocturnal animal and if they are pale they are obvious to predators like an owl,” Melbourne University’s Dr Kath Handasyde told The Age.

This kind of mutation is not as rare as one might assume. Pikachu isn’t the only golden possum in the area; Wildlife Victoria’s Caroline Dazey says there are “little pockets of them in Victoria and we try to keep their location secret to keep them safe”.

So did you book that trip? What are your thoughts on this Kawaii Mutation? Let us know in the comments.